Faults:

The first week I had the SUV the check engine light came on. I was told not to worry because the vehicle had been sitting for a year, and never driven just started... so they told me it was a build up of some kind, which should clear up itself.

Okay, I waited for two weeks and nothing changed until I tried to go to work out of town, and as I was passing someone the engine died, cut out at 119kms/hr. It would not do more than 50kms.

Took it in and found out the water pump was blown, and the catalytic convertor was plugged solid. All fixed with a warranty, but then the sunroof stopped working while open when it was raining. $1800.00 just for the whole sunroof part (cannot buy parts) $2800.00/installed.

General Comments:

It ran great otherwise, very fast... but when taken off-road it creaked and groaned like I have never heard from a vehicle. Poorly constructed. Way too small for a family of three.

Faults:

I have had 2 2002 Ford Escapes. These were company cars that were leased for 3 years, and then sold to employees. I got one of them new and drove 120,000 miles in 3 years problem free. I then bought it for my daughter and now at 130,000 the transmission is slipping and will need to be replaced.

These transmissions don't have a filter. Just a drain plug with a magnet to catch metal shavings. I have heard that transmission shops won't warranty a rebuilt transmission unless they can also change the transmission fluid cooling lines to the radiator and the radiator, because without a filter, contamination will be all through the system and could damage the new one.

By the way, if your air bag light comes on, try to unplug the electrical plugs under both front seats and spray them with WD40 and plug them back in, and that usually cures the light for a year.

Faults:

385,413 miles and not one thing wrong with the old Escape. I don't get what you guys are doing wrong with all the problems you list. I've put nearly half a million miles on mine with absolutely no problems at all.

Faults:

Like most of the posted complaints on this forum, my ESCAPE XLT V6 also encountered a transmission failure this evening.

First, while driving on open highway at 60MPH, the vehicle engine suddenly would NOT engage the transmission, causing the vehicle to lose speed. To help me get it home, I had to disengage the O.D. button on the gear shift lever. When I got home and turned off the engine, and tried to re-drive and reverse my FORD ESCAPE from my carport, it would NOT move but forward, and the same on NEUTRAL, and DRIVE gear positions. It's insane!

I've looked up any tranny recalls from the NHTSA.GOV website and the only related recall is the REPROGRAMMING of TCM/PCM, according to FORD. Geez, I hope I won't have to shell out $2200 for a tranny maintenance cost... There seems to be enough victims of this problem here, that we as owners of FORD ESCAPE vehicles should make enough influence to the NHTSA to compel FORD to recall these piece of work vehicles.

This was my first and only FORD that I'll ever buy, nor will I ever recommend a FORD vehicle to anyone I come in contact with. I never had this problem with my German and Japanese cars.